JA Social Innovation Relay

Working with global partner HP, Junior Achievement – Young Enterprise has developed the Social Innovation Relay to encourage students aged 15-18 to develop concepts that are socially innovative and could have a signficant positive social impact. The interactive web based learning programme is designed to encourage students to think like Social Innovators whilst developing a host of skills that will help them be innovative, entrepreneurial and socially responsible employees and business people in the future.

The Social Innovation Relay is a global competition organized in collaboration with HP that challenges secondary school students to develop an innovative business concept that addresses a social need. The Social Innovation Relay provides young people with the hands-on skills and entrepreneurial expertise needed to start a successful career through a combination of virtual and face-to-face mentoring by experienced executives. The participating teams are paired with e-mentors who are all HP employees and who connect with the finalists to help them develop concept papers that can translate in feasible business ideas.

In this competition, the students will learn how to:

Identify and understand social challenges

Research existing solutions and their limitations

Work as a team and develop their social skills

Develop business and communication skills

Develop a “shared value” orientation where one can earn a profit and do go at the same time